In this collection of essays, futurists offer predictions about what will occur on December 21, 2012, with speculations ranging from a global consciousness shift to cataclysmic geographic events. While many authors hold the moderate view that, as global resources dwindle, it would be in the best interests of humanity to focus on more holistic, natural, and collectivist behaviors, others make wilder claims—some invoking Atlantis and humanity's origins in outer space—that compromise the authority of the collection. The quality of these essays also varies widely. It seems unlikely that casual readers will be persuaded by this collection; the authors will most likely be preaching to the converted.